Hudson maxim



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H MAXIM I APPARATUS FOR MAKING BXPLOSIVE RODS 0R GRAINS- Pate'ntedAPhGO,18.95.

' ATTORNEYS H. MAXIM. v APPARATUS, FOR MAKING BXPLOSIVE RODS 0R GRAINS. No. 538,618. Pat ented Ap r. 30, 1895.-

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wgmsszs: I I iuv monk 4? BY 7 ATTORNEY:

UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFIcE.

HUDS'CSN'MAXIM, OFINEW YORK, if, r,

APPARATUS FOR MAKING sxPtoslvs RODS ORYGRAINSQ SPECIFICATION torming part of Letters Patent No. 538,618, dated April so, 1895;

. Application filed January s1,1sI94. Serial mtoam. on model.)

. To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HUDSON MAXIM, a citizen of the United-States of America, residing'in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Rods or Grains from Plastic Material, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to an apparatus for making perforated grains or rods of plastic material, and the product made thereby; and more particularly to the making of perforated explosive grains or rods for use as powder charges in.ordnanceand in small arms.

In practicing the invention in the making,

for instance, of .an explosive grain or red, I.

employ an imperviouscxplosive compound, such, for example, as that described in my. Letters Patent No. 411,127, dated September 17, 1889-, which consists of an impervious colloid of pyroxylin made by means of a volatile solvent of the pyroxylin with or without an admixture of nitroglycerin, providing an amorphous mass which, while in a plastic con: dition, is capable of flowing under pressure and partaking of any desired shape. In adaptting such explosive compound for practical use it is advantageous to form it into grains or rods of uniformsize as distinguished from masses thereof, and it is furthermore of importance to furnish such grains with one or more perforations to thereby provide for their combustion along the perforation which as the combustion continues constantly presents gradually increasing explosive surface to the flamewhereby the gases of combustion are more gradually evolved and the projectile propelled-with an accelerating speed.

It is theobject of the present invention to pro-.

vide means by which such perforated grains or rods'may be readily, economically and advantageously formed; and'to this end it consists in producing a plastic explosive material, molding such. material into a continuous body or red and simultaneously forming therein one or more continuous perforations and then cutting such body or rod into section or grains.

It furthermore consists in means for molding a plastic material intoaeontinuons body. or red and simultaneously applying an exterior coating or envelope thereto either alone or-in conjunction with simultaneously forming in such 'body one or more continuous perforations, and whether or not such coated body be cut into grains. a a

The improved apparatus capable of practically carrying out the process consists subing wall of the die the material is caused to I an annular mouth opening into the 'die from a supply passage or chamber through which.

month suitable material may pass or be forced to exteriorly coat or envelop the material passing through the die; In connection with ,this improved apparatus means may alsobe the'formed material passprovided for cutting ing from the die intograins.

-With this general statement of the leading features of the invention, I have, in order to flow in the act 'of being shaped andiferced f outward in completed form. In conjunction. with the die or mold there may be provided is p make the same more clearly 'understood,'-

shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying it into practical elfect, without' thereby limiting the improvements in their useful applications to'the particular con} struction taken for illustration herein. 4 In said drawings, 'Figurelis a vertical sectional elevation of the apparatus embodied in my invention andadapted'to carry outthe improved process. Fig. 2 is ajbottomwiewr thereof. Fig, 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is aplanview of the mandrel supporting or carrying plate.

' Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view illustrating and 8 are respectively'a bottomand asectional view of the die. Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively a sectional and a bottom plan view of one View of the other .mandrel-carryingplate.

95 a slightly difierent-form of apparatus? Fig.

6 is a bottom planview of the same. Figs. 7v

| seems Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional elevation illustrating a means for cutting the continuous rod into sections. Fig. 1'5 is a sectional view of a finished rod-section or grain.

Referring to the drawings A indicates a chamber sufficient capacity for the amount of plastic'material to be treated. Such chamber-may consist of two portions as shown, the one, a, adapted to receive the chargeof material to be operated upon and to serve as a cylinder in' -which the compressing means may operate, and the other a secured to the part a and receiving the compressed material from suchcylinder on its way to the forming cham-. ber. The latter is shown at B and is preferably'of conical or equivalent form as illustrated, connected and communicating with the chamber A.

The die for giving external form to the grain orr'od is indicated at C, and may be integral with the chamber 'B as shown in the shape of an extension or lip.

The means for exerting pressure on the material may be variously constructed. Asimple and etfective device is illustrated consisting of a piston D fitting in the chamber or cylinder a, which will be connected with and operated by an engine or by hydraulic apparatus-(not shown) or other source of power. By raising the piston opportunity will be afforded for introducing the already prepared plastic material hereinbeforedescribed into the cylinder, and'a'downward movement of the piston will force it into the forming chamber B and through the contracted die or mold G, in shape of a continuous body or rod cylindrical 'or prismatic or of other form, in cross section. One or any desired number of mandrels may be employedfor forming in it simultaneously withthe production of such continuous rod, the continuous longitudinal perforation or perforations.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, I have shown situated within the die nineteen suchm andrels, one indicated at 0 being concentric with the die and adapted to form a central perforation, and the others shown at c' arranged intermediate between the mandrel cand the. wall of the die and preferably at equal distances from each other. The number of mandrels will depend upon the diameter of the rod to be produced, and'its desired interior ignition surface. Various means may be employed for holding the mandrels in place.

; In Figs. 1 and 4 I have showna transverse plate 0' arched or convex toward the direction from which the plastic material is forced, having openings b through which the latter may pass, and having other openings b in l which may fit the shanks of the mandrels. The latter are clamped in place by nuts 0 screwed upon the threaded mandrel shanks and engaging th plate 0'. While the mandrels may be straight and parallel for their whole length with theaxis of the die I prefer to shape them to correspond with the lines of flow of the plastic material, as indicated in Fig. 1, in which their upper portions are inclined to wholly or partly correspond with the angle of the converging walls of the forming chamber B, thus causing the pressures of the plastic material upon the diiferent sides of the mandrels'to balance each other and relieve the mandrels' of. lateral strain which might otherwisedisplace them and improperly distribute the perforations in the rod or grains. The plate 0 is clamped between the chambers A and B, the latter being secured which engages a lateral flange b of the charm ber B, and which is screwed upon the chamber A.

It will be seen that the passage of the plastic material through the devices thus far described will produce a continuous and continuonslymulti-perforated rod. For coating such as one which is combustible but of less explosive quality than the incased grain, for instance, a compound of celluloid and nitronaphthalene, as hereinafter specified I may provide an annular month F opening from a chamber or duct F into thedie- I accomplish this conveniently by forming such duct in the sleeve E and making theportion of the die beyond or below such month in a piece 0 independent of the chamber B and secured, as by a screw-thread, in the said sleeve. This greater area than the die portion above the mouth F to properly form the coating material around the rod issuingfrom the other portion of the die as it passes through the aperture of the piece (3 The coating material may be fed into the duct F, at a rate to correspond with that of the formation of the rod, through a pipe or opening F If it be desired to employ this apparatus for the production of a rod having a single central perforation, the mandrels 0' may be individually removed from the plate 0'. They may, however, be arranged to be collectively removed, and such a construction is shown in Figs. to 13, in which also is shown aconstruction adapted to the production of rods of various diameters, by the interchangeability of its die and mandrels. In this form of the machine coating devices are not shown but may be added, or the'rod may be subsequently coated in any preferred way. Refe'rring to the last mentioned figures the die is shown as secured directly into the bottom of the cylinder in which the compressing pisshown at g, to direct the plastic material inward toward the die. By removing this die and substituting another of diiferent internal diameter the size of the rod or grain may be modified. The central mandrel is supported by a plate or bushing H into-which it is socured which has openings. h for the passage of the material, and which is clamped between the die and a shoulder g' on the bottom 'plate.

I is a somewhat similar and separate plate together by a sleeve E, having a shoulder e,

this rod exteriorly with a suitable material,

piece C in efiect forms a second die of slightly ton travels, said bottom being concave as having formed with it oneor more circular seriesio'f mandrels and clamped between the plate H and the shoulder'c of the'dieJ The plate I hasa circular series of openingsit' forthe material and a oe'ntral opening t"; In this construction also thelupper -portions'of the mandrels are inclined to conform to thedirection of movement or flow of the material, but

are here united one with another, as best seen in Fig. 13, constituting a funnel shaped con- 1 cluit t. K

. shown.

of power. .the means for operating it either by hand or The explosive materiahforced through the die in the form'of a continuous body or rod,

will extend therefrom and from thelower surface of the mass, and said continuous body or -rod may be cut ordiv'ided into very short lengths by a suitable cutter arranged to operate parallelwith the surface of the die at proper intervals'of time according to the speed of compression and movement of the material through the die.' In Fig. 14 I haveshown by v a view partly in'section. and partly in elevationone such means for cutting OK the said rod'into sections or grains, consisting of a revolving blade hhaving a bevel gear h that is'en'gagedby another wheel j which may in turn be operated by a crank 10 or other source It isobvious'. that the cutter and by power may be changed widely from that The grains or sections thus formed, while protect'edon their sides by the less explosive or retarding material, will have at theirends the explosive material exposed to immediate ignition. The resuit will be that the combustion of the grain will begin on the ends, pro- "ceeding inward-as succeeding portions of the explosive are uncovered by the consumption ofthe outer and overlying portions as'indicated byvthe dotted lines in Fig. 15. The surface on which combustion takes place will,

. therefore,-be gradually increased, with a corresponding progressive increase inthe volu me of gas evolved and gradual acceleration of the.

movement of the projectile.

The coating for the grain hereinbefore referred to composed of a compound of-celluloid and nitro-naphthalene may be made by mixing the celluloid andhitro-naphthalene together and adding a solvent thereof, such as acetone.

I claim 1. The combination with a chamber, and a source-of supply for a plastic material com municating with the chamber, of mandrels arranged in the chamber, and a mandrel support therefor provided intermediate of the mandrels with openings communicating w1th said source of supply and with thespace between the mandrels, substantiallyas described.

2. In a-machine of the class described, the

combination with a chamber and pressing means, of a die forgiving exterior form to the material, and a series of mandrels having inclined shanks or supports for forming longitudinal perforations in the product, as set forth. v J

3. The combination with a chamber and pressing means, of a die for giving exterior form to the material and a series of mandrels arranged in the path of the material and bent I r .drels, another and independent mandrel or mandrels coacting with the plurality of mandrels and a surrounding die, as set forth.

6. The combination with a die, and a plurality of outer or eccentric mandrels within the same, of a. mandrel support therefor, a mandrel or mandrels within said outer mandrels, and a support for the intermediate mandrel or mandrels independent of the first mentioned support, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a die, and a p'lurality of outer or eccentric mandrels Within thesame, of a mandrel support therefor having a shoulder, a mandrel or mandrels within said outer mandrels, and asupport for the intermediate mandrel or mandrels independent of-the'first mentioned support and resting on said shoulder, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed" my name in the presence of two witnesses.

HUDSON MAXIM.

lVitnesses:

' GEO. I-I. GRAHAM, II. N. Low. 

